Foldable sawhorse

ABSTRACT

A three-legged sawhorse which is capable of being folded into a compact storage configuration and of being unfolded into an erect usage position is disclosed. The sawhorse comprises a pair of horizontally-disposed beams extending in spaced parallel relation and a double-leg assembly pivotally mounted thereto at one end and a single leg pivotally mounted between the beams at the other end. The leg carries a transverse abutment member which engages the undersides of the beams when the sawhorse is in its erect position to limit outward pivotal movement of the leg. The double-leg assembly has a pair of divergent legs which are interconnected by a brace which engages the undersides of the beams when the sawhorse is in its erect usage position to limit outward pivotal movement of the leg assembly. The leg-beam pivot connections are provided by threaded fasteners having wing nuts which permit the legs to be clamped in either their folded or usage positions.

United States Patent [191 Kramer May 14, 1974 FOLDABLE SAWHORSE [57]ABSTRACT [76] Inventor: John J. Kramer, 315 Harte], Fox A three-leggedsawhorse which is capable of being Chase, Pa. 19111 folded into acompact storage configuration and of being unfolded into an erect usageposition is dis- [221 Flled' 1973 closed. The sawhorse comprises a pairof horizontally- [21] Appl, NO; 385,049 disposed beams extending inspaced parallel relation and a double-leg assembly pivotally mountedthereto 7 at one end and a single leg pivotally mounted between [5%]$5.81. the beams at the other end. The leg carries a mum q i '2 verseabutment member which engages the undersides l 0 of the beams when thesawhorse is in its erect position to limit outward pivotal movement ofthe leg. The [56] References Cited double-leg assembly has a pair ofdivergent legs which UNITED STATES PATENTS are interconnected by a bracewhich engages the un- 970,508 9/1910 Kamrath l82/l55 dersides of thebeams when the sawhorse is in its erect 1,075,115 l0H913 182/155 usageposition to limit outward pivotal movement of 2,473,342 6/1949 182/155the leg assembly. The leg-beam pivot connections are 3,618,704 ll/l97lSmith l82/l55 Primary ExaminerReinaldo P. Machado provided by threadedfasteners having wing nuts which permit the legs to be clamped in eithertheir folded or usage positions.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures The present invention relates to worksupports, and more particularly, the present invention relates tosawhorses which are capable of being folded into a compact storageconfiguration.

Sawhorses which are capable of being folded into compact storageconfigurations are known. Examples of this type of sawhorse aredisclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 2,473,342; 2,824,771; 3,198,286; and3,225,865. Although each of these sawhorses may function satisfactory,each possesses certain limitations. For instance, each of thesesawhorses has a four-legged configuration. Although four-leggedsawhorses provide stable support when used on a fiat surface, they tendto be unstable when used on uneven surfaces such as normally existaround excavated construction sites. When a load is applied to anunevenly supported sawhorse of the folding type, the points where thelegs pivotally connect to the beams tend to be stressed. Thus, in time,the pivot connections become worn and loose and cause the sawhorse to beless than rigid. Each of the aforementioned sawhorses is relativelycomplex. Hence, none is as inexpensive to manufacture as desired, andsuch complexity renders each sawhorse relatively complicated to fold andunfold. Although foldable threelegged ironing table structures are knownand exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,804,573 and 1,834,488, suchstructures have the disadvantage of being complex and not being capableof supporting heavy loads safely.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the presentinvention to provide a novel sawhorse which is capable of being foldedinto a compact storage configuration when not in use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvedfolding sawhorse which is of simple but rugged construction.

As another object, the present invention provides a unique sawhorsewhich provides a stable support even when employed on uneven surfaces.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improvedfolding sawhorse which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

As anotherobject, the present invention provides a heavy-duty foldablesawhorse which is capable of being folded into a storage configurationand unfolded into an erect usage configuration relatively rapidly andsimply.

More specifically, the present invention provides a three-legged foldingsawhorse. The sawhorse comprises a horizontal support member whichpivotally mounts a single depending leg at one end and a double-legassembly at the other end. The single leg carries a transverse abutmentmember which engages the underside of the support member when thesawhorse is in its erect usage position to limit outward movement of theleg.

The leg assembly includes a pair of diverging legs which engage theoutsides of the support member and which are connected by a brace thatengages the underside of the support member when the legs are disposedin their usage position to limit their outward movement. The double legassembly and the single leg are pivotally connected to the supportmember by threaded fasteners which permit them to be secured in eithertheir folded or usage positions while providing the pivot connections.Preferably, the support member comprises a pair of spaced beams whichdefine therebetween a recess for receiving the leg when the sawhorse. isfolded.

These and other objects,'features and advantages of the presentinvention should become apparent from the following description whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a foldable sawhorse embodying thepresent invention, the view illustrating the sawhorse in its erect usageconfiguration;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the left-hand end of the sawhorseillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sawhorse illustrated in FIG. 1;

' FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the right-hand end 'of thesawhorse illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating thesawhorse in its folded storage configuration; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the folded sawhorse illustrated inFIG. 5.

, Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIG. 1, afoldable sawhorse 10'embodying the present invention. The sawhorse 10comprises a support member which, in the illustrated embodiment,includes a pair of horizontally-elongated beams 11 and 12 (FIG. 3)extending in parallel relation. The beams are separated by a spacer 17which is interposed therebetween at the left-hand end of the sawhorse l0and which hand end of the sawhorse 10 by a threaded fastener 25,

and a double-leg assembly having a pair of legs 15 and 16 is pivotallyconnected to the other or left-hand end of the beams 11 and 12 by athreaded fastener 27. When the sawhorse 10 is in its erect usageconfiguration, such as illustrated in FIG. 1, the leg 14 as well as thelegs 15 and 16 define obtuse interior angles with respect to the beams11 and 12. If desired, a one-piece support having a recess in itsunderside may be utilized in lieu of the two beams.

In order to provide a strong work support, there is provided means onthe leg 14 and the pair of legs 15 and 16 to engage the undersides ofthe beams 11 and 12 to limit outward pivotal movement of the legs l4, l5

and 16. To this end, an abutment or stop member 20 is mounted on the leg14 on the outer edge thereof as by screws, bolts or the like. Theabutment member 20 is disposed transversely to the leg 14 and extendslaterally outward to engage the undersides of both the beams 11 and 12for limiting outward pivotal movement of the leg 14 edgewise in acounter-clockwise direction when in the usage position illustrated inFIG. 1. As best seen in FIG. 2, a brace 21 is mounted to the outer edgesof the legs 15 and 16. The brace 21 extends transversely to the legs 15and 16 and engages the undersides of the beams 11 and 12 to limitoutward pivotal movement of the legs 15 and 16 edgewise in the clockwisedirection. The stop 20 and the brace 21 engage the undersides of thebeams 11 and 12 outboard of the leg pivot connections to resist thetendency for the legs to spread outwardly when a load is applied, sothat the sawhorse is capable of supporting relatively heavy loads incomplete safety.

When the sawhorse 10 is in the storage configuration, the leg 14 iscontained between the beams 11 and 12. For this purpose, the spacer 17is of substantially the same thickness as the leg 14, and the lengths ofthe beams 11 and 12 are selected so that the space 18 is long enough toaccomodate the length of the leg 14 between its pivot connection and itslower end when pivoted inwardly. It is noted that the insides of theabutment member 20 and the brace 21 engage the undersides of the beams11 and 12 inboard of the leg-pivot connections to limit inward pivotalmovement of the legs. Thus, when folded, the sawhorse has asubstantially palanar configuration such as illustrated in FIG.

The legs l4, l5 and 16 are capable of being releasably fastened ineither their extended usage positions such as illustrated in FIG. 1, ortheir folded storage positions such as illustrated in FIG. 5. To thisend, the threaded fastener 25 extends through the beams 11 and 12 andthe leg 14, and a wing nut 26 is threadedly carried by the. fastener 25.The upper ends of the legs and 16 aresimilarly connected to the beams ll and 12 by the threaded fastener 27 and a wing nut 28. With thisstructure, the wing nuts 26 and 28 may be loosened to permit the legs tobe pivoted about the. fasteners 25 and 27 when it is desired to folderunfold the legs. After the legs are disposed properly in the desiredposition, such as illustrated in FIGS. 1 or 5 the wing nuts 26 and 28may be tightened to secure the legs. lt is desirable to secure the legsin this manner since the legs would otherwise tend to pivot inwardlywhen the sawhorse-is lifted in its erect configuration or to pivotoutwardly when the sawhorse 10 is lifted in its folded configuration. Itis noted that the brace 21 engages the outer edge of the leg 14 inboardof the double-leg pivot connection 27. Since inward pivotal movement ofthe a leg 14 is limited by the stop 20, the leg 14 may be secured simplyby tightening the wing nut 28.

The sawhorse 10 is preferably fabricated of wood; however, it may alsobe fabricated from a metal such as aluminum or steel, depending upon theload carrying capacity desired. However, regardless of the constructionmaterials, it is desirable for the legs 14, 15 and 16 be of the samewidth as the beams 11 and 12 and the fasteners 25 and 27 to connect thebeams and legs at their width-wise medians adjacent their ends so thatthe sawhorse may be folded into a planar structure having a thicknesscorresponding to the width of the beams 1 l and 12. It isalsop'referable for the insides of the upper ends of the legs 15 and 16to be mitered at 15a and 1641 so as to engage flat against oppositesides of the beams to provide a maximum area of contact and thereby tominimize stress.

The sawhorse 10 of the present invention provides a number ofadvantages. For instance, when in its compact storage configuration,such as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, it occupies a minimum of space sothat a number of sawhorses may be stored in a confined location, forinstance to be transported in a truck. However, when the sawhorse 10 isunfolded, it is capable of supporting substantial loads in completesafety. By virtue of its three-legged structure, the sawhorse 10provides a stable support when used on uneven surfaces such as found inand about construction sites. Moreover, the sawhorse 10 is capable ofbeing shipped economically to consumers in a knocked-down condition incompact cartons, and because of its simplicity, it is capable of beinginitially assembled with a minimum of tools by the average homeowner.

In view of the foregoing. it should be apparent that an improvedfoldable sawhorsehas now been provided.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been describedin detail, various modifications, alterations andchanges may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foldable work support comprising: an elongated support memberhaving a recess extending lengthwise in its underside, a leg dependingfrom one end of said support member, means pivotally connecting said legto said support member to permit said leg to pivot inwardly into astorage position in said recess and outwardly into a usage positiontransverse to said support member, a double-leg assembly connected tothe other end of said support member, said assembly including a pair oflegs depending from said support member and diverging therefrom, meansconnecting said pair of legs to pivot together relative to said supportbetween an inward storage position wherein the pair of legs aresubstantially coplanar with said support member and an outward usageposition wherein the pair of legs are transverse thereto, and meanscarried on said leg and leg assembly for engaging the underside of saidsupport member at locations outboard of their pivotal connections forlimiting outward pivotal movement of the legs when said sawhorse isdisposed in its erect configuration.

2. A foldable support according to claim 1 wherein said leg limitingmeans includes an abutment member mounted on said one leg and extendingtransversely thereto and a brace connecting said pair of legs below saidsupport member, said abutment member and brace engaging the underside ofsaid support member when said sawhorse is in its erect configuration andsaid leg and pair of legs define obtuse angles with respect to saidsupport member, said abutment member and brace engaging said supportmember inboard of said pivot connections to limit inward pivotalmovement of said legs when said support is folded.

3. A foldable work support according to claim 2 wherein each of saidlegs has an outer edge and said brace and abutment member engage theouter edges of their respective legs, said brace engaging the outer edgeof said one leg inboard of said leg assembly pivot connection when saidsupport is in its folded configuration, and including means to clampsaid leg assembly to the support member in the folded position, wherebythe support may be secured in its folded configuration.

4. A foldable work support according to claim 1 wherein said supportmember includes a pair of beams disposed side by side and includingspacer means interposed between said beams at said other end to definesaid recess between said beams, said one leg being mounted between saidbeams at said one end to pivot into said recess between said beams.

5. A foldable work support according to claim 4 wherein said recess hasa length greater than the length of said one leg between its pivot pointand its lower end to permit said leg to be completely received in saidrecess, and said legs and support member having substantially the samewidthwise dimensions so that the support may be folded into a planarconfiguration having a thickness corresponding to the width of thesupport member.

7. A foldable work support according to claim 6 wherein said clampingmeans include a first threaded 'fastener extending through said supportand said leg and a second threaded fastener extending through saidsupport and said leg assembly, and wing nut means threadedly engagedwith said threaded fasteners and operable upon rotation to urge saidsupport and said leg and leg assembly into frictional engagement.

1. A foldable work support comprising: an elongatEd support memberhaving a recess extending lengthwise in its underside, a leg dependingfrom one end of said support member, means pivotally connecting said legto said support member to permit said leg to pivot inwardly into astorage position in said recess and outwardly into a usage positiontransverse to said support member, a double-leg assembly connected tothe other end of said support member, said assembly including a pair oflegs depending from said support member and diverging therefrom, meansconnecting said pair of legs to pivot together relative to said supportbetween an inward storage position wherein the pair of legs aresubstantially coplanar with said support member and an outward usageposition wherein the pair of legs are transverse thereto, and meanscarried on said leg and leg assembly for engaging the underside of saidsupport member at locations outboard of their pivotal connections forlimiting outward pivotal movement of the legs when said sawhorse isdisposed in its erect configuration.
 2. A foldable support according toclaim 1 wherein said leg limiting means includes an abutment membermounted on said one leg and extending transversely thereto and a braceconnecting said pair of legs below said support member, said abutmentmember and brace engaging the underside of said support member when saidsawhorse is in its erect configuration and said leg and pair of legsdefine obtuse angles with respect to said support member, said abutmentmember and brace engaging said support member inboard of said pivotconnections to limit inward pivotal movement of said legs when saidsupport is folded.
 3. A foldable work support according to claim 2wherein each of said legs has an outer edge and said brace and abutmentmember engage the outer edges of their respective legs, said braceengaging the outer edge of said one leg inboard of said leg assemblypivot connection when said support is in its folded configuration, andincluding means to clamp said leg assembly to the support member in thefolded position, whereby the support may be secured in its foldedconfiguration.
 4. A foldable work support according to claim 1 whereinsaid support member includes a pair of beams disposed side by side andincluding spacer means interposed between said beams at said other endto define said recess between said beams, said one leg being mountedbetween said beams at said one end to pivot into said recess betweensaid beams.
 5. A foldable work support according to claim 4 wherein saidrecess has a length greater than the length of said one leg between itspivot point and its lower end to permit said leg to be completelyreceived in said recess, and said legs and support member havingsubstantially the same widthwise dimensions so that the support may befolded into a planar configuration having a thickness corresponding tothe width of the support member.
 6. A foldable work support according toclaim 1 including means for clamping said leg and said leg assembly inboth said folded and said usage positions and providing said pivotconnections to said support member.
 7. A foldable work support accordingto claim 6 wherein said clamping means include a first threaded fastenerextending through said support and said leg and a second threadedfastener extending through said support and said leg assembly, and wingnut means threadedly engaged with said threaded fasteners and operableupon rotation to urge said support and said leg and leg assembly intofrictional engagement.